Pic story: 50-year-old village teacher starts new semester in NW China's Shaanxi

Chen Hong and his wife Yang Xiuzhen play with students at Wulong primary school of Weiganba Village in Tongchewan Town of Ningshan County, northwest China's Shaanxi Province, Aug. 31, 2019. Students from Wulong primary school started a new semester on Saturday. The 50-year-old village teacher Chen Hong will teach all 16 students from the age of three to eight for the semester. Chen started his teaching career at Wulong primary school in 1988 after he graduated from Ankang No.2 Normal School. He has since been teaching here for 23 years besides eight years' working in the town. As the number of students decreases, Wulong primary school has canceled four grades and added a nursery class since 2012. Nowadays, Yang Xiuzhen, Chen's wife, is hired as a child-care worker since she passed a test organized by local education department. "The number of students has remained 20 or so in recent years. Education is very important for children in the village. I will stay even if there is only one child, " said Chen. (Xinhua/Zhang Bowen)